Day: September 17, 2013

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
4. Don of radio IMUS
Don Imus’s syndicated radio show “Imus in the Morning” broadcasts from New York City. Imus has been described as a “shock jock”,a disc jockey who deliberately uses provocative language and humor that many would find offensive . I don’t like shock jocks …

15. “Brave New World” drug SOMA
In Aldous Huxley’s 1931 masterpiece, “Brave New World”, the members of his future society are encouraged to partake of the drug called soma. The soma provides hangover-free escapes referred to as “holidays”.

There is a speech by Miranda in “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare that is the source for the title of “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley:

O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in’t.

17. “American Idiot” punk band GREEN DAY (from “village green”)
Green Day is a punk rock band from just down the road here, from Berkeley, California.

19. James of “Gunsmoke” ARNESS
James Arness played the role of Matt Dillon, Marshal of Dodge City, on “Gunsmoke” for twenty years. If you count the occasions when he reprised the role for specials, he actually performed as Matt Dillon over five decades. And, did you know that Peter Graves, the actor who played Jim Phelps on “Mission: Impossible”, his real name was Peter Arness? He and James were brothers.

24. Performer who is heard but not seen VOICE ACTOR (from “Village Voice”)
“The Village Voice” is a free newspaper distributed in New York City. “The Village Voice” had a great advertising slogan in the eighties: “Some people swear by us … other people swear AT us”.

28. Thames school ETON
The famed English public school of Eton College is located closed to Windsor, just outside London. The school is on the River Thames and has long been associated with the sport of rowing. During the summer months, those boys who participate in rowing are known as the “wet bobs”, while those boys who prefer to play cricket, tennis or athletics are called the “dry bobs”.

30. QB’s successes TDS
In football, quarterbacks (QBs) are touchdowns (TDs).

36. Mil. school ACAD
A military (mil.) school is an academy (acad.).

37. 1996 Hillary Clinton best-seller, and what might be said about the start of 17-, 24-, 48- or 59-Across IT TAKES A VILLAGE
“It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us” is a book published by Hillary Rodham Clinton. The title is taken from an African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child”, although the exact origin of the phrase has been called into question. The actual text of the book was written by a ghost writer who interviewed Hillary Clinton while working on the project.

41. “High Hopes” lyricist Sammy CAHN
Sammy Cahn wrote for them all, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Doris Day. Cahn’s most famous song was probably “Three Coins in the Fountain”. He also wrote “All the Way”, made famous by Frank Sinatra.

Sammy Cahn wrote the lyrics for “High Hopes” for the 1959 film “A Hole in the Head”, and the song won an Oscar that year. Frank Sinatra was the star of the movie, and he recorded the most famous version of the song.

43. Prefix with gram EPI-
An epigram is a short and clever statement, poem or discourse.

44. Bars to scan, briefly UPC
UPC stands for Universal Price Code or Universal Product Code. The first UPC-marked item to get scanned in a store was on June 26, 1974 at 08:01 a.m. at Marsh’s supermarket in Troy, Ohio. It was a 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit chewing gum …

47. Boy of la casa NINO
In Spanish, a young boy (nino) might be found in the house (la casa).

48. Table scraps, to the dog PEOPLE FOOD (from “Village People”)
Village People is a disco group formed in New York City in 1977. From day one, the band’s act and music was aimed at the gay community. The name refers to New York’s Greenwich Village, which at the time had a large gay population. The group’s members dressed up as characters associated with stereotypical gay culture, including a cop, Native American, GI, construction worker and cowboy. The biggest hits for Village People are “Y.M.C.A.” and “In the Navy”.

55. War hero played by George C. Scott PATTON
General George Patton was a notorious leader of US forces during WWII. He was given command of the US Third Army in 1944. That army had resounding success, liberating more territory in less time than any other army in the history of the world. Patton barely survived the war. He was killed in a car accident outside Mannheim in Germany in December of 1945.

“Patton” is an excellent biographical movie about General George Patton and his exploits during WWII. The film was released in 1970 and starred George C. Scott in the title role. “Patton” won seven Oscars including Best Picture and one for Scott as Best Actor. Scott refused his award saying that he disliked “acting competitions”. In so doing, he became the first actor to refuse an Oscar.

56. Sitcom sergeant BILKO
Master Sergeant Ernie Bilko was played by Phil Silvers in his TV show that aired in the fifties. “The Phil Silvers Show” was hugely successful in reruns in the British Isles, even more so than over here in the US.

62. TV’s “__ & Greg” DHARMA
“Dharma & Greg” is a sitcom that aired from 1997 to 2002 on ABC. Greg and Dharma are a couple that married on their first date, despite being exact opposites in personality.

64. Sch. in the smallest state URI
The University of Rhode Island (URI) was first chartered as an agricultural school, back in 1888. URI’s main campus today is located in the village of Kingston.

66. Source of some psychiatry grants: Abbr. NIMH
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is one the 27 organizations that make up the National Institutes for Health (NIH).

67. Whitney or Washington: Abbr. MTN
Mount Whitney in California has an elevation of 14,505 feet making its peak the highest spot in the contiguous United States. Mt. Whitney was given its name in 1864 by members of the California Geographical Society who named it after Josiah Whitney, the State Geologist at the time.

Mount Washington in New Hampshire is the highest peak in the northeast of the country. It is located in the state’s White Mountains, in the Presidential Range. The Presidential Range comprises the highest peaks in the White Mountains, most of which are named for US Presidents including: Washington, Eisenhower, Monroe, Jefferson, Adams, Quincy Adams and Madison.

Down
1. Apollo 11 moon lander EAGLE
In the Apollo program, the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) was the vehicle that actually landed on the moon and returned the astronauts to the command module that was orbiting overhead. The third LEM built was named “Spider”, and it participated in the Apollo 9 mission which tested the functionality of the LEM design in space. The fourth LEM was called “Snoopy” and it flew around the moon in the Apollo 10 mission, the dress rehearsal for the upcoming moon landing. Apollo 11’s LEM was of course called “Eagle” and it brought Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to and from the moon’s surface. Another famous LEM was Apollo 13’s Aquarius. Although Aquarius never landed on the moon, it did serve as a “lifeboat” for the three astronauts after the explosive rupture of an oxygen canister in the Service Module.

2. Pink-slip issuer FIRER
The term “pink slip” can be used as a verb meaning “to terminate an employee”. No one really seems to know for sure where the term originated, but there are lots of stories.

5. Stylish, ’60s-style MOD
“Mod” is short for “modernist”, and describes a subculture that originated in London in the late fifties. Young men who called themselves mods tended to wear tailored suits, listen to pop music and drive around on Italian motor scooters. Mods came into conflict with another subculture that emerged at the same time in the UK called the rockers. Rockers were into rock and roll music, and drove motorcycles I remember as a young kid in school having to declare myself as either a mod or a rocker. I don’t think our “gangs” back then were quite the same as they are today though …

6. Hollywood’s Thurman UMA
Robert Thurman was the first westerner to be ordained a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Robert raised his children in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and called his daughter “Uma” as it is a phonetic spelling of the Buddhist name “Dbuma”. Uma’s big break in movies came with her starring role in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 hit “Pulp Fiction”. My favorite Uma Thurman film is the wonderful 1996 romantic comedy “The Truth About Cats and Dogs”.

9. Major heart vessels AORTAS
The aorta originates in the heart and extends down into the abdomen. It is the largest artery in the body.

10. Former Seattle NBAer SONIC
The Seattle SuperSonics were the professional basketball team based in Seattle from 1967 to 2008, at which time the franchise moved to Oklahoma City (and became the Oklahoma City Thunder). There are moves afoot to relocate the Sacramento Kings to Seattle, and revive the “Sonics” team name.

12. UFO pilots, in theory ETS
In 1952, the USAF revived its studies of reported sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in a program called Project Blue Book. Project Blue Book ran from 1952 until it was shut down in 1969 with the conclusion that there was no threat to national security and that there were no sightings that could not be explained within the bounds of modern scientific knowledge.

18. Grammy winner Gloria ESTEFAN
Gloria Estefan is a Cuban American singer who was born in Havana. Estefan fled Cuba along with her family after the Cuban Revolution, and ended up in Miami. Her father fought for the US military in Vietnam and also took part in the doomed Bay of Pigs invasion. Years later, Gloria herself was approached by the CIA to work for the agency due to her skill with languages. She ended up doing quite well singing instead …

22. Halloween mo. OCT
All Saints’ Day is November 1st each year. The day before All Saints’ Day is All Hallows Eve, better known by the Scottish term “Halloween”.

25. Dollar bills ONES
George Washington didn’t appear on the first one-dollar bill. Instead, the bills printed from 1862 to 1869 featured Salmon P. Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury who served under Abraham Lincoln.

32. __ tendonitis: arm muscle ailment BICEP
The biceps muscle is made up of two bundles of muscle, both of which terminate at the same point near the elbow. The heads of the bundles terminate at different points on the scapula or shoulder blade. “Biceps” is Latin for “two-headed”.

33. Daylong military march ETAPE
“Étape” is the French word for stage, as in a “stage” in the Tour de France. It is used in English military circles to describe where troops halt overnight, but can also describe the section of the march itself. So, a march can be divided into stages, into étapes.

34. Addis Ababa native ETHIOPIAN
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia. The city is relatively young, having being founded in 1886 by Emperor Menelik II.

35. Mart opening WAL-
Walmart (previously “Wal-Mart”) takes in more revenue than any other publicly traded company in the world. Over in my homeland, Walmart operates under the name Asda. Walmart’s worldwide headquarters are in Bentonville, Arkansas, the home of Sam Walton’s original Five and Dime. You can actually go into the original store, as it is now the Walmart Visitor Center.

38. Ristorante carafe contents VINO
In Italian, one can find a carafe of wine (vino) in a restaurant (ristorante).

39. Footnoter’s “ditto,” briefly IBID
Ibid. is short for the Latin word “ibidem” and is typically found in footnotes and bibliographies. Ibid. is used to refer the reader to the prior citation, instead of giving the same information all over again (title, author etc.).

40. Deighton of spy-fi LEN
I used to walk my dog right past author Len Deighton’s house years ago, as we lived in the same village in Ireland (probably my only claim to fame!). Deighton wrote the excellent espionage thriller “The IPCRESS File”, made into a 1965 movie starring Michael Caine.

44. Final syllable ULTIMA
In the world of linguistics, the last syllable in a word is called the ultima. The second last syllable is known as the penult.

46. Corp. money manager CFO
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

49. Father of la casa PADRE
In Spanish, a father (padre) might be found in the house (la casa).

53. Hybrid tennis garment SKORT
Skorts are a hybrid between shorts and a skirt.

58. Cubs’ home: Abbr. CHI
The Chicago Cubs is one of only two charter members of the baseball’s National League who are still playing, the other being the Atlanta Braves. The Cubs last won the World Series in 1908, which is a long time ago. In fact, the Cubs have the longest championship drought of any professional sports team in North America.

60. MADD concern DUI
In some states, there is no longer a legal difference between a DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) and a DUI (Driving Under the Influence). Other states retain that difference, so that by definition a DUI is a lesser offence than a DWI.

Candice Lightner lost her 13-year-old child to a drunk driver in 1980. Soon after, Lightner formed the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Terrible grade EFF
4. Don of radio IMUS
8. Got smart with SASSED
14. Not feel well AIL
15. “Brave New World” drug SOMA
16. Developed a liking for TOOK TO
17. “American Idiot” punk band GREEN DAY
19. James of “Gunsmoke” ARNESS
20. Most insignificant LEAST
21. Hopefully helpful track info HOT TIP
23. Once, formerly ERST
24. Performer who is heard but not seen VOICE ACTOR
28. Thames school ETON
30. QB’s successes TDS
31. “__ were you …” IF I
32. Meat-and-potatoes bowlful BEEF STEW
36. Mil. school ACAD
37. 1996 Hillary Clinton best-seller, and what might be said about the start of 17-, 24-, 48- or 59-Across IT TAKES A VILLAGE
41. “High Hopes” lyricist Sammy CAHN
42. One printing defamatory text, in England LIBELLER
43. Prefix with gram EPI-
44. Bars to scan, briefly UPC
47. Boy of la casa NINO
48. Table scraps, to the dog PEOPLE FOOD
51. Zero-calorie protest FAST
55. War hero played by George C. Scott PATTON
56. Sitcom sergeant BILKO
57. Like citrus juices ACIDIC
59. Boob tube IDIOT BOX
62. TV’s “__ & Greg” DHARMA
63. Remove from power OUST
64. Sch. in the smallest state URI
65. Patronize, as a restaurant DINE AT
66. Source of some psychiatry grants: Abbr. NIMH
67. Whitney or Washington: Abbr. MTN

Down
1. Apollo 11 moon lander EAGLE
2. Pink-slip issuer FIRER
3. Bugs with bounce FLEAS
4. Fails to be ISN’T
5. Stylish, ’60s-style MOD
6. Hollywood’s Thurman UMA
7. Greet someone casually SAY HI
8. Uttered STATED
9. Major heart vessels AORTAS
10. Former Seattle NBAer SONIC
11. Doubtful SKEPTICAL
12. UFO pilots, in theory ETS
13. Hair styles DOS
18. Grammy winner Gloria ESTEFAN
22. Halloween mo. OCT
24. Cast a ballot VOTE
25. Dollar bills ONES
26. Old enough OF AGE
27. Bill attachment RIDER
29. Sound of disdain TSK
32. __ tendonitis: arm muscle ailment BICEP
33. Daylong military march ETAPE
34. Addis Ababa native ETHIOPIAN
35. Mart opening WAL-
36. The whole thing ALL OF IT
38. Ristorante carafe contents VINO
39. Footnoter’s “ditto,” briefly IBID
40. Deighton of spy-fi LEN
44. Final syllable ULTIMA
45. Scratcher on a post PET CAT
46. Corp. money manager CFO
49. Father of la casa PADRE
50. Hamburger topper ONION
52. Wedding memento ALBUM
53. Hybrid tennis garment SKORT
54. Wasp venom, for one TOXIN
56. “The other one, too” BOTH
57. Throw in ADD
58. Cubs’ home: Abbr. CHI
60. MADD concern DUI
61. Doctrinal word ending -ISM

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